Shame on me because I didn't test drive it? What the hell are you talking about?

How does me driving it change the fact that it's uglier than hell, and isn't as well performing as a lot of cars out there that can be had for the same, if not less $$ than the 2008 WRX?

The appeal of the 2002 WRX was the fact that it had better performance that almost all cars that were available back then... It was a front runner in the performance category at the time which is more than I can say for the standard 2008 WRX. Sure, it performs nicely and perhaps a smidge better than the old 2.0 liter WRX, but that's not enough for it to be a front-runner of performance like the 2002 WRX was...

What does the 2008 WRX have in the appealing dept? The question is, what sells this car? What makes it more special than other cars out there? This car doesn't have anything that really stands out over the rest.

My point is that I don't have to test drive this car to know that it's fugly and it's performance isn't stellar, so shame on you

 

I agree with Daniel. I have been back from Kuwait for 3 weeks now and have not even seen the 08 anywhere yet. I have driven by the Subaru dealership, but didnt see one there because the Mazda dealership put all the RX-8 and CX-9 out there.
I think the price hike is bs now that I have read about the differences with the new one and old one.

 

Legacy Spec-B

 

You are smoking crack! I can't even sit in the back of my '05 ~ and I sat in the back seat of an '08 for an hour on a drive in complete comfort and I am 6'2" 215 lbs!

 

So, as a 'postscript'.

Two facts about the new Impreza. We cannot keep the 2008 2.5i in stock, it test drives so well, has as much refinement (ride and interior) as the Legacy at thousands less. SOA is doing quite well on sales of the non-turbo, actually having to import more from Japan to cover the lack of numbers coming out of Vancouver. The market segment for the 2.5i has broadened GREATLY (I would say average age has jumped 10yrs!) and they sell themselves...

The NW region has 146 2008 STI's allocated for ALL the dealers. Over 100 are already pre-ordered and waiting delivery ~ So, the STI is not a problem for SOA either.

But, yes ~ the big issue with sales is the 2008 WRX. Our dealership has sold exactly 3! The price increase over the 2007's is nuts and yes it is boring as hell to look at. The rest of our WRX inventory is just collecting dust.

It's simple, a whole new market is embracing the 2.5i (safety, economy, reliability, AWD and resale). The 'core' gearheads are quite happy with the new STI and getting the chance to be '1st on the block'.

That leaves the WRX. The hard core Rex lovers are voting with their wallets. "No thanks, boring", they are saying. There IS no Impreza (Legacy chassis, Legacy motor) left in the 2008. At best it's a 'Legacy Sport' and as exciting to look at as your ex-girlfriend who gained 30 lbs ~ All you can remember is what she USED to look like & shudder!!!

 

All I wanna know is what happened to the 2.5RS? Why can't there be NA without it being an econo-box? Give me something more than a super stripped down POS. And I agree the 2008s are hideous, ugliest **** ever, and I believe the rear-end looks more like a ford fusion myself. I believe a 2008 Forester is my new favorite option, but I better hurry, looks like they're effing it up in 2009.

Don't know if someone posted this clip already but :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv7aExC1a_U

 

Kinda like what Mitsubishi did with the Lancer and gave it an Oz Edition in the same lineup with the ES and Evo? Or a tamer, but still sporty 08 Subaru Forester X Sports to be a non-turbo alternative to the XT Sports?

 

+100

I also fail to see what sells the 08 WRX . Not only is it boring to look at, it's no longer the clear bang for your buck leader as it was in 2002.

 

I saw an '08 WRX the other night (Thursday, I think) in San Mateo. It was parked next to me as I came out of Circuit City. That is the only one I have seen on the road thus far (here and on the East Coast), and they've been out what, 3 months now? I have seen quite a few base '08 Imprezas on the road.

I finally sat in the '08 WRX at the SF Auto Show - I was significantly underwhelmed. I don't think that it is leaps and bounds above the previous gen interior (I own an '02 that is sitting in Maryland now) like others have stated/mentioned in other posts, sites, etc. Maybe it takes a drive to really feel the difference? Even still, my opinion is that it is too much of the same - for a car that is supposed to be a complete redesign, we still have the same cheap analog HVAC dials and the center console digital clock. I guess I was hoping that the new Impreza interior was going to borrow heavily from the current Legacy or Tribeca interiors. Either that, or maybe I've outgrown the WRX? I think the new design went too mainstream and the car lost any bit of character it once had. Sure, the bugeyes were ugly, but as has already been said, it offered performance that no other manufacturer delivered in 2001. Also, it retained styling cues from the previous generation, like the personal-pizza sized foglights (I am bitter about these disappearing), front bumper vents, the hoodscoop, flared fenders, etc. The '08 WRX has none of these, and the conservative watering down of the design will probably sell more cars though, because it will bring in the mainstream John Q. Public that thought the previous gen looked too racy or boy-racerish. That's my $0.02.

 

our RS was so special because it was the closest thing to an STi or rally car at the time and they used them in WRC. People in Japan wouldnt look twice at a 2.5RS while i was barely 16 drooling over them.

i think they need to dust off the casts and rebuild the GC assembly line and add $5000 to the price tag. do a limited run of 5000 units. Full STi motor/drive, i doubt they'd have trouble selling that in USA alone, look at the VW R32 they sold 5000 units, a year after that used ones were selling with LITTLE depreciation.

People are paying $8000 for professional swaps. Jeep still sells their "classic" boxy Jeep, at least until a few years ago, i dont know if they sell them anymore.

all i know is someone recruited the 08 designers from hyundaikiasaturn

 

those cars have actually appreciated. I know 2 ppl that sold them for 5 k more then they paid, and had driven them for 30k miles.

 

I agree... the price bump on the new WRX is high for practically a slightly better car out the box.

It's rumored that the new Ralliart Lancer is not just stickers and badges anymore... but will carry the previous EVO AWD with way better performace than the older model (I forgot where I read it somewhere)... its performance is looking almost like the previous EVO IX (in paper), only watered down.

It's going to be an interesting competition for the WRX.

 

i just dont understand why they have to change the whole line (looks) every 2 years and why they cant keep an old one on the floor, I guess they would need two assembly lines instead of 1 to keep that up.

Look at miata's the pop up headlights were so cool then they went to fixed headlights and the beginning of the "girly" miata (IMO of course) the new miata made up for it, so maybe the Subaru 2011 full model line will make up for this one.

 

wow....rewind to 2005 when the 2006 model was debuted....

Same crap being said then about the looks. Pignose this, looks like *** that....

I see 2008 WRX's just about everyday and have seen the '08 STi on the road.
They are great looking. Sure the grille and the taillights need work, but damn, get over it.

 

LOL easy for you to say being in the land of car secks, where you find super rare JDM cars selling for $2000! how's your S14? you have a link for any progress to it? or sexy road pictures?